A longing heart trying to trust the Lord

This entry has taken me a few days to write and I'm not quite sure why. A lot of thinking, almost writing something of substance, saving, thinking, and coming back to work on it more. I'm back in Virginia Beach with a house to myself, not a lot of close friends in the area, still on the job hunt, and missing Central Oregon a lot.


There's a lot I miss about the Canyon and Central Oregon. The traffic isn't ridiculous wherever you go, every store isn't super crowded all time, there's no sales tax, no humidity, very little rain, and well the list can go on and on of the shallow things.


I think the things that I really miss may seem small, but really have significant meanings and can't really be redone in any other fashion. I really miss the family adventures and family devotions I had with the Browns. I LOVED exploring Oregon with them. I miss writing on egg shells before they've be use so people can have fun or encouraging things to read as they're cooking or baking. I miss having "fights" with my brother and sister which consisted of flicking each other in the forehead. I miss laying on a hammock under the vast Central Oregon sky getting lost in conversations with the Lord.


I miss not having to lock the door when you leave the house. I miss having the ability of leaving your car keys in the car. I miss the fact that your neighbors are automatically your friends. I miss coming in from work and being greeted with "Hey sis, how was work?" and a hug. I miss being comfortable in my own skin and knowing who I was and what I want in life. I miss living with my best friends. I miss the simple, slow life that the Canyon can bring.


Sometimes explaining they why behind why I love and miss these things is the hard part. I think the more I have lived the life I love, the more I am able to express what it looks like and the whys won't be as hard to explain. In the mean time, I think I have a new prayer to pray. I still want to get back to the Canyon more than anything, but slightly more than that I want to be where the Lord wants me to be and I can start praying for that kind of life wherever the Lord calls me. Sometimes it isn't easy, but the Lord is good, He is faithful, and He has a plan for our lives that exceed our plans for life. So thankful for that.

The last of my time in Oregon (for now...)

Well here I am. Back in Virginia. For three days now. And I wish I could say that leaving Oregon, the Canyon, and my West Coast family gets easier each time I hop on that plane. However that's not the case. Actually it gets harder. I love Oregon, the Canyon, and my family the more I spend time out there. It was an amazing 6 1/2 weeks out in Antelope and I am so incredibly thankful for the people who made it possible for me to be there so long.

With that being said, I have A LOT of pictures to share. Some y'all have already seen, but really this is an update of my time there and if you can't figure it out yet, I love sharing pictures. So here is a glimpse of what life looked like in Central Oregon.

 This is my tweleve-year-old niece, Bailey. She's super awesome.

 My fourteen-year-old niece, Abby. Also super awesome.

 The community orchard - beginning stages obviously. 

 You only see skies so clear in Antelope. At night, when the moon is 

bright, there's no need for a flashlight.

 A day at the river with Sparky (and Sara and Bri too)

 Kory's and my super awesome mugs

 No caption needed

 Gina and Sara - these ladies are super awesome!

 Brody and Abby - my nephew and niece

 Family adventure to the crematorium 

 Family hike

 My nieces - Abby and Bailey 

 My bother, Kory

 Banana Hammock

 My brother and me with our awesome glasses

 My sister, Sara, and me

 My Oregon family: Sara, Bailey, Abby, Christian, and Kory

 My brother and nephew - Kory and Christian

 Kory and Christian

 Sara and Kory at Imperial River Co. for dinner

 Love Christian Brody

 My sister and I directing traffic

 Family adventure day around Oregon

 Classic for Abby and me

 The fam at The Painted Hills

 Best dog ever - Sparky

 The Painted Hills

 They're the two best friends anyone could ask for!

 Brother!

 Warming up for Pickle Ball

 Better not do any lunges!

 Nice work, K

 Attractive face

 An attempt at "attractive face" but I couldn't help but laugh.

 Right before I got on my first flight out of Central Oregon. So hard.

 Love my sis

Love Brody!

I don't know when the next time I'll be back in Oregon or with that part of my family, but for now I'm trust the Lord has better plans and I'm soaking up my time with my family back east.